Delay arming mechanism



J y 8, 1969 F. J. MILANOWSKI 3,

DELAY ARMING MECHANISM Filed NOV. 21, 1967 INVENTOR. yd J. Mi/anawsArrows-rs.

United States Patent 3,453,961 DELAY ARMING MECHANISM Floyd J.Milanowski, Stanhope, N.J., assignor to the United States of America asrepresented by the Secretary of the Army Filed Nov. 21, 1967, Ser. No.684,835 Int. Cl. F42c 15/26 U.S. Cl. 102-79 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A projectile having an arming mechanism which is normallymaintained in an unarmed condition by a latch member that is radiallyslidable in a projectile body passage. A fluid reservoir housing has apiston aligned radially outward of the latch, and a rupturable seal issecured to an outer end of the housing and in fluid communication withthe reservoir fluid. Upon launching of the rotating projectile, thepiston responsive to centrifugal force will compress the reservoir fluidand rupture the seal to permit release of the latch for operation of thearming mechanism. Removable rollers normally in the path of the latchdelay its release for a predetermined period of time, and a peripherallypositioned orifice screw secured to a nut carrying the seal has anexhaust passage for fluid flowing past the ruptured seal.

The invention described herein may be manufactured, used, and licensedby or for the Government for governmental purposes without the paymentto me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a delay arming mechanism for projectilespreferably provided with timing fuzes for actuating a firing mechanismwhen placed in an armed condition.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a projectile delayarming mechanism which can be visually inspected for proper orientationof internal parts without the need for prior disassembly.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a mechanism having aminimum of weight, and which is capable of selective partinterchangeability so as to predeterminedly vary the projectiletrajectory time.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a mechanism havingmaximum holding power.

These and other objects, features and advantages will become moreapparent from the following description and accompanying drawings inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a transverse sectional view of a projectile embodying theprinciples of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view partially broken away taken along line 22 ofFIG. 1.

The projectile, shown generally at (FIG. 1), preferably has a timingfuze (not shown) for actuating a firing mechanism (also not shown) whenplaced in an armed condition, one element 11 of the firing mechanismbeing normally latched in an unarmed condition by the securing plates 12of respective or similar delay arming mechanisms, shown generally at 14,15 and 16. Each delay arming mechanism has a fluid reservoir housing orcylinder 17 provided with an enlarged sidewall continuous threadedportion 18 that is secured to an interrupted thread surface portions 19(FIG. 2) of formed projectile body surfaces provided on eitherperipheral side of slot 20 that receives the radially slidable securingor latching plate 12.

3,453,951 Patented July 8, 1969 ice The sealed head of each piston 21 isslidably mounted in its radially disposed reservoir cylindrical wall 22,that preferably contains an oil or soft paste 23, and its reducedportion 28 extends inwardly of the piston seating reservoir flange 24(FIG. 2) into its guiding projectile body surface 25. The innermost endsurface 26 of cylinder 17 is inclined or slightly tapered to define aconical recess therein for a purpose to be described.

An O-ring 27 is seated in each reservoir wall 22 inwardly adjacent itsthreaded connection 29 with securing nut 30 that has a central passage31 and an outermost concave slotted surface 32 which is centrally tappedto receive a nylon washer or rupturable seal 34 and a retaining orificescrew 35 having a central aperture 36.

The outermost surface 37 of each latch 12 is provided with a trapezoidalshaped recessed surface 38 to normally accommodate or seat a pair ofsteel rollers 40. Each roller 40 normally contacts correspondingsurfaces 38, 26 and 28 and provides means for delaying release of thelatch 12 that precipitates arming of the weapon. The innermost end ofeach piston 21 has a central cylindrical recess 41 for accommodating thecorresponding rollers 40, 40 upon predetermined radially outwardmovement of the piston 21 responding to centrifugal force developed bythe launched rotating projectile body.

Outward piston movement will compress the reservoir fluid 23 and causeit to slowly escape through aligned passages 31, 36 as soon as seal 34has ruptured. After a predetermined amount of outward piston travel,piston surface 28 will be clear of the paths for free movement ofrollers 40, 40 along reservoir surface 26 toward piston recess or cavity41 where they will no longer obstruct or delay the release of latch 12.

Visual inspection for fluid leakage adjacent the orifice screw 35 whenthe delay arming mechanism sub-assembly has previously been assembled inthe projectile body or prior thereto, thereby indicating the need forreplacement for otherwise the securing plate 12 may not have itslatching capability.

Orifice screws having a dimensional variance in their apertures 36 mayreadily be interchanged to thereby alter the pre-arming travel time fora launched projectile trajactory. Preferably a small amount of grease issupplied to each roller 40 to facilitate desired functioning thereof.

I claim:

1. In a projectile having an arming mechanism,

latch means normally maintaining said arming mechanism in an unarmedcondition, said latch means being slidably mounted in radial passagemeans formed in the body of said projectile,

a fluid reservoir housing containing a piston aligned radially outwardof said latch means,

means positioned intermediate said latch means and piston for delayingthe release of said latch means for a predetermined period,

said delay means including roller means normally in latch securingposition intermediate each of said housing, piston and latch means,

the outer surface of said latch means includes recess means foraccommodating said roller means, said latch means outer surface portiondefining said recess means including an outwardly increasing taperedrecess sidewall portion,

rupturable seal means secured to an outer end of said reservoir housingand in fluid communication with the interior thereof,

so constructed and arranged that upon launching of said projectile, saidpiston responsive to centrifugal force will compress the reservoir fluidand rupture said seal means, thereby permitting release of said latchmeans for operation of said arming mechanism.

2. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein the inner surface of said pistonincludes a central cylindrical recess for accommodating said rollermeans upon outward movement of said piston.

3. The arrangement of claim 2 in which the innermost end surface of saidhousing has a tapered recess to facilitate movement of said roller meansfrom its normal latch securing position toward said piston recess.

4. The structure of claim 1 in which said housing has an externallythreaded peripheral portion in engagement with interrupted thread meanson protruding internal surfaces of said body, a nut carrying said sealmeans and having a central passage threadedly secured to said housing,and an orifice screw threadedly secured to said securing nut with itsorifice aligned with said nut passage for slowly escaping fluid flowingpast the ruptured seal means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, PrimaryExaminer.

' GERALD H. GLANZMAN, Assistant Examiner.

. US. Cl. X.R. 102-82

